Armenian opposition leader says “prominent” activists arrested

Noyan Tapan news agency
1 Jun 04

Yerevan, 1 June: The secretary of the National Unity Party’s
territorial organization, Simon Amirkhanyan, and his colleague,
Razmik Kchoyan, were arrested in the town of Gavar in Gegarkunik
Region on 31 May, chairman of the party Artashes Gegamyan said.

According to him, they are being blamed for telling people of
Gavar District, in particular, in the villages of Karmir, Gandzak
and Sarukhan and the town of Gavar about a meeting of MPs from the
National Unity faction with their voters scheduled for 2 June.

According to Gegamyan, [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan is behind
the arrests. He said that by this move Kocharyan wanted to show to the
Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed Country] Party and its leader that though
the marzapet [head] of Gegarkunik was one of the prominent members of
the Orinats Yerkir Party, however, this was of no significance to him.

Gegamyan has not yet reported the arrests to Jerzy Jaskiernia [PACE’s
co-rapporteur on Armenia], because he believes that “we should resolve
our domestic problems within the country and appeal to the Council
of Europe only in case of obstacles”.